Rotating machanism of drive bracket

ABSTRACT

A rotating mechanism for a drive bracket includes a chassis having a front panel with an opening defined therein and a drive bracket pivotally mounted in the chassis corresponding to the opening. A positioning member is secured to the drive bracket. An elastic member is mounted in the chassis. The elastic member comprises a plurality of grooves for positioning the drive bracket at different angles with respect to the chassis. Wherein when the drive bracket is rotated, the positioning member is moved and received by one of grooves of the elastic member for positioning the drive bracket.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to rotating mechanisms of drive brackets, and more particularly to a rotating mechanism for adjustably positioning a drive bracket at different angles with respect to a chassis.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Typically, drive brackets are simply screwed into a conventional personal computer enclosure with screws, for accommodating data storage devices. The data storage devices are, for example, hard disk drives (HDDs), floppy disk drives (FDDs), compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM) drives, and so on. However, such securing means is cumbersome and time consuming. Furthermore, the screws may loosen over time and possibly drop into other components of the computer, which may cause damage. Moreover, due to the limited amount of space in the conventional computer enclosure, the mounting or removing of the data storage devices is difficult and may also result in damage to the computer.

What is needed, therefore, is a rotating mechanism adjustably positioning a drive bracket in the computer, thereby allowing convenient installing or removing of data storage devices.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A rotating mechanism for a drive bracket includes a chassis having a front panel with an opening defined therein and a drive bracket pivotally mounted in the chassis corresponding to the opening. A positioning member is secured to the drive bracket. An elastic member is mounted in the chassis. The elastic member comprises a plurality of grooves for positioning the drive bracket at different angles with respect to the chassis. When the drive bracket is rotated, the positioning member is moved and received by one of the grooves of the elastic member for positioning the drive bracket.

Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of preferred embodiment with attached drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a preferred embodiment of a rotating mechanism of a drive bracket;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the drive bracket in FIG. 1, but viewed from another aspect;

FIG. 3 is a partially assembled view of the rotating mechanism of FIG. 1, but viewed from another aspect;

FIG. 4 is an assembled view of the rotating mechanism of FIG. 3 with a cover exploded; and

FIG. 5 is an assembled view of the rotating mechanism when the drive bracket is rotated and positioned in an open state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a rotating mechanism of drive bracket for an electronic device like a computer includes a chassis 10 and a drive bracket 30 pivotally connected to the chassis 10. The drive bracket 30 is used for receiving a drive component like a date storage device 70 so as to form a drive assembly therewith.

The chassis 10 includes a bottom wall 11, a side wall 14, a front wall 12, and a receiving bracket 20. The side wall 14 and the front wall 12 are perpendicular to the bottom wall 11. An opening 13 is defined in the front wall 12. A pair of tabs 18 each with a pivot hole 181 defined therein protrudes out from opposite edges of the opening 13. A supporting flange 15 and a supporting flange 16 extend in from an upper edge of the front wall 12 and a lower edge of the opening 13 respectively. Adjacent to the opening 13, a pair of securing holes 123 is defined in the front wall 12. A supporting flange 19 defining a securing slot 191 extends in from a top edge of the side wall 14. The receiving bracket 20 includes a side wall 21. A supporting flange 23 defining a securing slot 25 extends out from a top edge of the side wall 21. A generally D-shaped elastic member 50 mounted on the chassis 10 defines a plurality of grooves 53 in an outer arcuate surface and a pair of securing holes 51 in a vertical face. The elastic member 50 is mounted in the chassis by a pair of fasteners 40 respectively passing through the securing holes 123 of the front panel 12 and the securing holes 51 of the elastic member 30.

The drive bracket 30 includes a bottom wall 31, and a pair of side walls 33 vertically extending from opposite sides of the bottom wall 31. A flange 35 extends out from a top edge of each side wall 33. A securing tab 36 corresponding to the securing slot 191 in the flange 19 protrudes down from one of the flanges 35. A tab 39 with a pair of securing holes 391 defined therein extends from a bottom edge of one side wall 33 of the drive bracket 30. A blocking piece 38 is formed out from the other side wall 33 by stamping, for preventing the drive bracket 30 from over-rotating. A pair of pivot tabs 37 extends from two sides of the drive bracket 30. A pivot shaft 371 for rotating in the pivot hole 181 protrudes from a center of the pivot tab 37. A securing tab 32 for inserting in the securing slot 25 of the receiving bracket 20 is stamped downwardly from the bottom wall 31 of the drive bracket 30, and a pair of supporting members 321 to be supported on the supporting flange 23 of the receiving bracket 20 are respectively bent out from the two sides of the securing tab 32. The drive bracket 30 further includes a positioning member 60 mounted thereon. The positioning member 60 includes a base 61 defining a pair of securing holes 611 and a wedge-shaped positioning portion 63 protruding from a surface of the base 61 (referring to FIG. 3). The positioning member 60 is mounted on the drive bracket 30 by a pair of fasteners 40 respectively passing through the securing holes 611 and 391.

Referring also to FIGS. 3 and 4, in assembly, the data storage device 70 is secured to the drive bracket 30. The pivot shafts 371 of the drive bracket 30 pass through the pivot holes 181 of the chassis 10 to pivotally connect the drive bracket 30 to the chassis 10. The flanges 35 of the drive bracket 30 are respectively supported on the supporting flanges 15 and 19 of the chassis 10. The securing tabs 36 and 32 of the drive bracket 30 respectively insert into the securing slots 191 and 25. The support members 321 adjacent to the securing tab 32 are supported by the supporting flange 23. The top end of the positioning portion 63 is received into the bottom groove 53 of the elastic member 50 to position the drive bracket 30 in a closed position. A cover 80 is mounted on the chassis 10 to sandwich the flanges 35 of the drive bracket 30 between the cover 80 and the chassis 10.

Referring also to FIG. 5, to utilize the adjustable feature of the drive bracket 30, the cover 80 is removed from the chassis 10. The drive bracket 30 is rotated out about the pivot shaft 371. The securing tabs 32 and 36 disengage from the securing slots 25 and 191, and the positioning portion 63 of the positioning member 60 presses against the groove 53 to deform the elastic member 50 in and slide into an adjacent groove 53, thereby locking the positioning portion 63 in the groove 53. The drive bracket 30 is rotated into the desired position. When the drive bracket 30 is rotated, the blocking piece 38 of the drive bracket 30 is stopped by the front panel 12 to prevent the drive bracket 30 from over-rotating.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of preferred embodiments, together with details of the structure and function, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A rotating mechanism for a drive bracket comprising: a chassis having a front panel with an opening defined therein; a drive bracket pivotally mounted in the chassis corresponding to the opening; a positioning member attached to the drive bracket; and an elastic member mounted in the chassis, the elastic member comprising a plurality of grooves for receiving the positioning member, thereby positioning the drive bracket at different angles with respect to the chassis.
 2. The rotating mechanism as described in claim 1, wherein the elastic member is D-shaped, and the grooves are defined along an arcuate face of the elastic member.
 3. The rotating mechanism as described in claim 1, wherein the positioning member comprises a base and a positioning portion protruding from the base.
 4. The rotating mechanism as described in claim 1, wherein a pair of pivotal shafts protrudes from the drive bracket, and a pair of pivotal holes for the pivotal shafts passing through are defined in the front panel of the chassis adjacent to the opening.
 5. The rotating mechanism as described in claim 1, wherein the chassis comprises a supporting flange defining a securing slot, and a securing tab for inserting into the securing slot extends from the drive bracket.
 6. The rotating mechanism as described in claim 1, further comprising a receiving bracket having a supporting flange with a securing slot defined therein, and a securing tab extending down from the drive bracket for inserting into the securing slot.
 7. The rotating mechanism as described in claim 6, wherein a pair of supporting members adjacent to the securing tab are bent for resting on the supporting flange of the receiving bracket.
 8. The rotating mechanism as described in claim 6, wherein the chassis comprises a pair of opposite side walls, the receiving bracket comprises a side wall, the bottom wall of the drive bracket supported by one of the side walls of the receiving bracket, and one side wall of the drive bracket abuts the side wall of the chassis.
 9. The rotating mechanism as described in claim 1, wherein a blocking piece extends out from one side wall of the drive bracket for preventing the drive bracket from over-rotating.
 10. A mounting mechanism for a drive bracket comprising: a chassis comprising a front wall and a side wall perpendicular to the front wall, the front wall defining an opening therein; a receiving bracket comprising a side wall with a supporting flange; and a drive bracket pivotally mounted in the chassis corresponding to the opening, the drive bracket comprising a bottom wall and a pair of opposite side walls, one of the side walls supported by the side wall of the chassis, and the bottom wall of the drive bracket contacting on the supporting flange of the receiving bracket.
 11. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 10, further comprising an elastic member for positioning the drive bracket at different angles with respect to the chassis.
 12. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 11, wherein the elastic member is D-shaped and defines a plurality of grooves along an outer arcuate surface thereof.
 13. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 12, wherein the drive bracket further comprises a positioning member corresponding to the grooves of the elastic member.
 14. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 10, wherein a pair of pivot holes is defined in the front panel of the chassis, and a pair of pivot shafts for rotating in the pivot holes protrudes from the drive bracket.
 15. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 10, wherein the chassis comprises a supporting flange with a securing slot defined therein, and a securing tab extends from one of the side walls of the drive bracket for inserting in the securing slot.
 16. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 10, wherein the supporting flange of the receiving bracket defines a securing slot, and a securing tab extends from the bottom wall of the drive bracket for inserting in the securing slot.
 17. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 10, wherein a blocking piece extends out from one of the side walls of the drive bracket for preventing the drive bracket from over-rotating.
 18. An electronic device comprising: a chassis enclosing said electronic device and defining a receiving space therein; a drive assembly including a functional drive component removably receivable in said space of said chassis, and movable relative to said chassis between a first position thereof to retainably stay in said space and a second position thereof to substantially move out of said space, said drive assembly continuously engagable with said chassis when said drive assembly moves relative to said chassis between said first and second positions thereof so as to be capable of retainably staying in at least one position located between said first and second positions thereof by means of engagement of said drive assembly and said chassis.
 19. The electronic device as described in claim 18, wherein said space is defined in a receiving bracket installable in said chassis.
 20. The electronic device as described in claim 18, wherein said drive assembly comprises a positioning member extending from a side thereof toward said chassis, and an elastic member is reachably formed in said chassis corresponding to said positioning member, said engagement between said drive assembly and said chassis is performed by continuously elastic contact between said positioning member and said elastic member. 